Nathan found Derek Stone standing alone on a jagged outcropping of volcanic rock, his back to the bustling camp, staring up at the monolithic face of Drak'thar.
The Goldcrest emblem on his tactical suit caught the dull grey light. Down below, his party—four hardened Climbers Nathan didn't recognize—drilled in sharp, lethal coordination.
Nathan approached slowly, his footsteps crunching in the ash. He wasn't sure what to expect. The Derek Stone burned into his memory was a loud, arrogant aristocrat. A boy who hid behind mercenaries and smug superiority.
The man standing on the ridge was someone else entirely.
